Shiver
by The Bargeman's Wife
Summary: What happens when the Bargeman saves a unconscious girl from the ice waters of the lake and an unlikely romance blooms between the two? Follow them on their journey as they meet up with new friends and discover new alliances. Suck at summaries, I don't own any of the characters except for my OC's.
1. Chapter 1

It was colder than normal on the day that he found her.

A veil of fog had danced along the surface of the lake as bard maneuvered his barge through the icy waters, chunks of ice being pushed to the side. It was then that he spotted a lone barrel floating amidst the fog and water, not far from his boat. Now, normally that wouldn't be such an abnormal sight, he knew from time to time barrels could fall off boats and end up drifting though the waters. But, this time was different...instead of just the barrel, something hunched over top of it. Bard's dark eyes narrowed, trying to get a better glimpse of was it was. He could make out damp fur among the fog. Perhaps fur had gotten caught on the splinters and floated with it. Slowing the barge a bit, his eyes peering at the barrel. The color ran from his face when he realized just what it was..or rather who. There was someone floating on the barrel, unmoving and half dunked in the freezing cold water. He turned the bow of the boat as quick as he could, maneuvering it over to the person. Once close enough, he reached out and grabbed onto the saturated coat, no idea whether he was going to be pulling a dead body on board or an alive one. Though he wasn't counting too much on the latter.

She, he soon realized, was rather heavy, the dead weight and the water logged clothes made it difficult to lift her on board. But somehow he managed, laying her on the floor of the boat. Her skin was a pale white and her lips a deathly blue. He wasn't even sure if she was alive..not by the looks of it. But Bard wasn't one to give up on hope so easily, so he gently pushed her coat to the side and lowered himself down to her chest, pressing an ear against it as he listened. For a few moments all he could hear was the ripples of the water beneath his boat. It was then a faint 'thump thump' reached his ears, his own heart jumping in his chest. She was alive! But how? He shook his head, standing up. There wasn't time to think about how or why right now, he was more focused on saving her right now. He shifted her body, not seeing any flesh wounds on her, but still wanting to be gentle nevertheless

Pulling off the water soaked coat, he tossed it to the side, hearing it thump somewhere on the boat. He didn't pay any attention to it, finding himself in a predicament. Her shirt was still soaked with the freezing cold water, unsure if he should remove that as well or just leave it.

Now Bard was a man of his word, unlike 90% of the other men the prowled Laketown. Dirty bastards the lot of them. But he had a decision to make, leave her shirt on and just place his caribou skin coat over her and hope the hypothermia didn't worsen, or strip her of her shirt and wrap her up in her coat that was sure to warm her up enough to keep her alive until he returned home.

Bard heaved out a sigh, deeming the latter a better decision at the time, as he slipped his hands under her shirt, peeling it off her body. He averted his gaze out of common courtesy, slipping it off her body. He stood up; keeping his gaze on the horizon before he shrugged off his coat, the cold air hitting his skin, but his shirt should be enough for him, at least till home. He knelt down again, clearing his throat slightly. This was going to be more difficult than he first planned..he may to look after all. Well, it wasn't as if he had any ill intentions toward the girl, only to save her life. His chocolate brown gaze turned toward her finally, instead finding bandages wrapped around her chest, a makeshift bra.

Bard let out another sigh.

He lifted the girl up, slipping the skin coat around her, slipping her arms into the sleeves and closing it around her body. If it weren't for the dire situation at hand, Bard may have laughed. The girl basically drown in his coat, much too small to fit easily into it. But that was also a good thing, that way it covered most of her and kept her warm.

Returning to his task at hand, he turned the boat back around onto its original course, steering it toward the town in the distance. He pushed the boat as fast as it could go, knowing he couldn't really take his time with something of this fragility.

"Percy open the gate! It's an emergency!" Bard called as he reached the town's gate, knowing he would probably hear about it later from Alfrid or the master, but right now he didn't care.

The white haired old man poked his head out of the shack, seeing it was only Bard as he rolled the gate up for him to pass, giving him a short wave.

"I'll take full responsibility for it later." He promised him as he floated by, knowing full well he'd be getting a visit from someone later for not checking in at the gate.

Pulling the barge up to the docks, he tied the boat down, receiving a few stares, probably wondering what in god's name he was doing without his coat off. Ignoring the stares the bargeman was receiving, he bent down, picking the girl up, noting that her skin didn't look as pale as it did earlier, but it was still too soon to be sure. He cradled her in his arms, leaning her against his chest as he quickly made his way through the wooden walk ways of the floating town.

Reaching his house with good time, he hopped up the steps, his children must've heard him coming as the door swung open to greet him.

"Da?" Bain's voice came as Bard reached the top of the steps, holding the door open for him.

"I'll explain later, Sigrid, ready a bed for her." He said quickly, as his eldest daughter jumped to his request, quickly readying her bed.

Bain and Tilda stood back as they watched their father set the bundle down on the bed, confused as to what was going on and where he had found the girl.

"Tilda, grab me as many blankets as you can. Bain, put some hot coals in the pan and place it under the blankets." He told them, looking at Sigrid. "And can you grab me one of your shirts and pants. She needs to get out of these clothes." He told them, gently unwrapping her from his coat.

The children went to work as quick as they could, Tilda gathering the blankets she could find around their houses, bringing them to her father as she set them on the edge of the bed, Sigrid brought him the clothes he requested.

Bard cleared his throat slightly, standing up. "Can you change her please." He said, pulling his jacket from beneath her as he walked out into the kitchen where Bain was gathering the coals he had requested.

Bard leaned against the counter of the kitchen as he waited for Sigrid to finish in the bedroom, staring up at the ceiling. He just hoped he made it in time..

"She's changed father." Sigrid said as she came out of the bedroom, Bain had already brought in the pan with the coals and they had tucked the girl in with the blankets and the hot pot under them.

He hadn't even noticed he had zoned out, looking at her as he nodded, kissing her forehead softly. "Thank you."

All was done that he could do for now, all they could do is wait and see if she made it through the night.

Bard wasn't sure how long she had been out there, let alone why or how. But those questions could come later, if she survived..

It was barely an hour later when there was a knock on Bard's door, a heavy gloved one. He knew that knock. He groaned to himself, lifting his weight off the couch he was currently residing on. Glancing over at the unconscious girl once more, Bard made for the door, opening it up as he came face to face with Alfrid himself.

"Ello Bard." The greasy black haired man sneered at him, trying to peer around him into his house but the Bargeman was a tad too tall for him to see.

"What can I do for you tonight Alfrid?" Bard asked, making sure the greasy little man had very limited view into his house. "Isn't it a little too late to be paying a visit?" He inquired.

Alfrid frowned at his response, a little irked. But he had the upper hand right now. He could put him in jail. And so help him god, he would do just that. "I heard you didn't get your papers checked when you came in today, Bargeman." He drawled out, smirking cynically.

Bard knew this was going to come, so he had Percy drop by on his way home to punch his papers for him, just in case Alfrid had tried to pull this card. "Hold that thought Alfrid." He said, shutting the door in his face, not wanting to show off his entire home to the man. He walked to the living room, picking up the papers before returning to the door, opening it again.

"I believe this is what you're looking for." He said, handing it to him.

Alfrid took the papers, scanning them over, the smug look on his face quickly disappearing as he frowned, clearly irritated that he had managed to one up him once again. He gruffily shoved them back into his hands. "Mark my words bargeman," He hissed out, narrowing his eyes at him. "I will get you." He snarled at him. "I know where you live."

Bard almost smiled. "I'd hope so. Have yourself a goodnight Alfrid." He replied with a smile before shutting the door without waiting for a reply.

He heard Alfrid cuss under his breath a few times before marching down his steps and away, moving away from the door once the footsteps were gone.

Walking over to the table, he tossed his papers back on them, reminding himself to thank Percy the next day before going to the back of the house, checking the hot pot under the girl's blankets. It was cold by now. Pulling it out, he returned to the fire, dumping the coals inside before poking around, pulling out a few new ones and dumped them in the pot. Returning to her bed, he slipped them in between the sheets once again.

Bard stood up, looking at her through the dim light of the room. Her skin had more color to it finally, her lips were returning to a normal color rather than blue, and her cheeks had a faint tinge of pink to them. She seemed to be out of the neck of the woods, he hoped anyway. He'd have to get a doctor to come in the next day at the crack of dawn, to make sure there wasn't any damage done from the hypothermia or frostbite, though there was a good possibility there was..

Returning to the fire, he put a couple more logs inside it to keep it burning for the rest of the night, before retiring to his own bed which wasn't much further from her own. Crawling underneath the fur blankets, he rolled over, letting sleep take him for the night.

~~Meanwhile in another part of Laketown~~

Lucy had been lying around, wasting time as she heard the creak of the stairs, and her father's weasily body making its way up. Though he wasn't particularly heavy, the stairs still groaned beneath his feet. Her eyes moved to the table as she saw his keys still laying upon the table. He had left his keys

'Go figure' She thought to herself, rolling her eyes emphatically. She jumped to her feet, and went and snatched the keys off the table. She made her way to the door as she could hear her father on the other side of the door, cursing as he dug though his pockets for his obviously missing keys. Lucy peeked out the window, as she made eye contact with her Father, Alfrid. The defiant smirk on her lips, as she pressed his keys against the glass so he could see.

Alfrid looked up, his face red. "Well hurry up and let me in then girl!" he snapped in annoyance.

"Did you check in first?" Lucy called through glass snarkily.

His face went red with anger. "I haven't left, why would I need to?!" he snapped angrily.

"Well if you never left then this is awkward.." She smiled, jingling the keys, making them clink again the window.

"You bloody knew what I meant! Now hurry up and let me in girl."

Lucy mocked a thoughtful expression. "I'd rather not." She smirked, disappearing away from the window. She tossed the keys back on the table, before retreating to her room. Tossing open the window and using her neighbor's lattice as a ladder, she climbed down and escaped into the town.


	2. Chapter 2

Sunlight filtered in through the grimy windows of the house, a cool breeze blowing through the cracks, causing the Bargemen to groan as he rolled over slightly, not particularly enjoying the sun burning into his eyelids, nor the cold air so early in the morning. A groan passed his lips as he sat up, bleary eyed and still tired, he ran a hand through his greying hair, tugging at the knots.

Hearing voices and bustling coming from the kitchen, Bard began to question if it was actually as early as he first thought. An unfamiliar voice came from the kitchen, one that wasn't any of his children. Suspicion running through him, he pulled on his wool shirt over his thin cotton one before walking out from his bedroom, his eyes spotting the familiar black haired girl at his table.

"Da you're awake!" Tilda greeted happily, jumping up from her seat as she ran over to him, hugging her small arms around his waist.

Bard smiled softly, hugging her. "Good morning darling." He said, bending down a bit as he hugged her tightly, looking over at Lucy. "I wasn't expecting a visitor so early in the morn." He commented, a bit leery of having her in his house, especially with the unconscious girl still in the room behind them. "Any sign yet?" He asked as he looked over at his eldest.

Sigrid shook her head as she stirred the porridge cooking on the stove. "Nothing yet." She replied, looking over at her. She had changed the hotpot this morning when she woke up, the girl finally having the color back to her face, but she still wasn't showing any sign of waking up.

Bain sat at the table, hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea as they waited for the breakfast, hungry but happy. Lucy coming over was unannounced and unexpected but he didn't exactly have any complaints. He was a bit glad she did actually. It had been awhile since he had seen her, and though being Alfrid's daughter, she held no resemblance to him other than her sleek black hair. Though he never said it aloud, he was sure at least Sigrid had already caught onto his teen crush on the girl. She had tried speaking to him about it before, but he had just gotten embarrassed and avoided the topic altogether.

The kids had already explained to Lucy exactly what their father had told them the previous night about the girl. After all, walking into a friend's house and finding an unconscious girl inside would rise more than a few questions.

"So.." Lucy began, smiling brightly at Bard. "Why do you have an unconscious girl in your home, Bargemen?" Saying the last part as sarcastically as she could muster. She knew Bard was not overly fond of her father, though honestly she held no bitterness about it against him. She didn't exactly like her father either. But he was her father, and the only thing she had that was remotely close to a family, and a place to permanently go. She accepted the hand she was dealt in life and made it work as best she could for herself.

Bard knew that jab was coming his way, Lucy always made a habit to bug him about little things like that whenever she could. Clearing his throat slightly, ushering Tilda back to her seat at the table. "I found her out in the lake last night." He explained to her as he did to his children the previous night, though a feeling of uneasiness washed over him as he walked over across the room, checking the girl. She seemed like she could wake up at any given time, so why wasn't she? He stood up again, walking over to the fire as he tossed another log into it to keep it alive and roaring. "She would have been dead if I hadn't have found her when I did." He turned round, looking at Lucy who stared at him with a look that clearly stated, 'I'm sure.'

Why was he trying to explain himself like he had done some dirty act toward the woman? Well...all except for changing her shirt in the boat, but it wasn't as if he had seen anything he shouldn't have. Plus he had to otherwise she would have frozen. Bard cleared his throat once again, returning to the kitchen area as he grabbed some bowls out of the cupboard for the porridge, trying to distract himself from the amused look the young girl was sending his way.

Lucy merely raised an eyebrow in mild amusement. "Do you always go around fishing pretty girls out of strange bodies of water?" She asked curiously, her lips curling upwards in a half smile. She grabbed the mug in front of her, breathing in the rich caffeinated drink. It warmed the inside of her nose, making her feel more awake then she already was. She had yet to return home from the previous night, knowing the argument that would be awaiting her arrival. Only growing even more in the hours of her absence; that she was sure of.

"Can I just stay here for a bit?" she asked glancing up sheepishly at Bard. "I locked Alfrid out of the house last night," She explained, laughing slightly. "I can only imagine how angry he is with me."

Lucy never once had given him the title as her father, though she knew that's what he was, as unfortunate as it could have been. In some ways, she thought maybe she could've been grateful he chose to keep her rather than just throw her to the side like her absent mother once had. She didn't even know who that mother was or where she was for that matter. For all she knew, she could be currently residing in Laketown, and everyone just refused to point her out. Though she never asked, no one ever told. And honestly, she was fine that. She was no mother to her. A mother wouldn't leave her infant child with a grease-ball of a man the way her mother had. Alfrid was only blood, not her parent. If anything he was simply a mild nuisance she was forced to live under the same roof with. She took care of herself. Though, on occasion he did try, though she refused to see it as such.

Bard wished she wouldn't put that it in such a manner, as he hadn't ever even had interest in finding another woman since his wife passed away six years ago. Getting a look from his eldest, he avoided the topic of the girl and what Lucy had said.

Once she asked to stay after the stunt she pulled with Alfrid, a smile twitched at his lips. He could only imagine the look on his face and partially wished he had seen it himself.

"I don't mind." He replied finally, shaking his head slightly. He could only imagine Alfrid eventually making his way here to find his daughter. Lucy had a tendency to take cover here whenever her and her father would have a dispute of some sort.

There was a thick knock at the door suddenly, starting him a bit. "Already?" He said, a little surprised, thinking it was Alfrid.

"That must be the doctor." Sigrid piped up, turning the stove off as she hurried to the door. Bard watched his daughter, eyebrows furrowed. "Doctor?" He inquired.

"I sent for him when I woke." Sigrid explained as she opened the door. Bard smiled softly, some days she was far too much like her mother..

The doctor stepped in, greeting the family as Sigrid explained what happened to the girl.

"It's a miracle she's still alive." The grey haired man said as he went to the bed the girl was currently residing in, pulling back the blankets. He checked her over, making sure she didn't have any frostbite. Again, he was a bit surprised that she had no sign of it. "She's in a hypothermia induced coma." He explained, sitting back as he began to rummage through his bag of herbal medicine.

Bard stood up straight, looking at her as his eyes grew concerned. She had no frostbite yet she was in a coma? "How do you bring her out of it?" He asked, walking over near them.

"I believe I've got something in here." The doctor replied, pulling out a few things. "Boil me some water can you?" He asked Sigrid, who nodded, rushing to the stove. Bard paused for a moment, shifting his position slightly, feeling a little unnerved. "How am I gonna pay you for this?" He asked, knowing they were poor as it was and he was sure the treatment he was giving the girl would cost a fortune.

The doctor merely chuckled. "You can't put a price on saving a life." He told him, waving his hand slightly to signal that it was alright, Bard was one of the few good men around here and he didn't feel the need to charge him. He looked back at the female. Perhaps she would stick around long enough to change Bard. He couldn't help but smile a bit at the thought. Even at his age he was still a little meddlesome.

Bard smiled a bit. "Thank you.." He said, glad that there was still some good spirited folks left in town still. Sigrid brought the doctor the hot water once it had boiled, stepping back to let him do his job. The doctor went to work as he mixed the herbs into the hot water, mixing and mulching them in before the water turned a deep green, the herbs well mixed.

"Sit her up." He told Bard as he set the bowl on the table beside him. Bard nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed as he slid his arm under her neck, lifting her into a sitting position, leaning her against his side as he sat there.

The doctor scooped a spoonful of the steaming liquid, tipping it into her parted lips. Bard sat there quietly, watching as the cup was soon empty and the medicine was down her throat. All was silent as he watched the girl quietly for a few moments.

"Hopefully, she should wake up in a few hours." The doctor informed Bard, who nodded. "Otherwise I'm surprised how well she looks. My job is done" He told him and Bard nodded, laying her down once again and covering her up.

"Thank you again." Bard said, the doctor just nodded, gathering his things and leaving. Bard let out a sigh, looking down at the girl once more before returning to the kitchen table.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: **I am so very sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out! I know you all have been waiting weeks and I would have gotten it out sooner had my editor not taken her sweet ass time only to decide it was good enough as it was. So here it is! The long awaited chapter 3. With more to come in the coming weeks.  
(Especially since DoS is coming out on DVD on April 8th :D)

* * *

It was well later into the afternoon that day, Lucy had gone to the lower part of the house with the kids, probably conversing or playing with them. Bard sat quietly on the couch as he read a book. It was then the sound of shuffling came from the bed the girl was in reached Bard's ears, immediately setting down the book he was reading as he got up. Relief. Relief flooded through his veins at the sound of her movement. It's what he had been waiting for all afternoon, the reason why he had stayed so close to her bed during the day.

The girl was indeed stirring was he reached the bed. Finally.. Kneeling at the side of her bed, he pushed the blankets down a bit as he watched her. "Hey, can you hear me?" He asked her, putting a hand to her shoulder as he shook her gently.  
Honey golden eyes snapped open, startling the bargeman slightly as he wasn't expecting to be met with such an intense gaze.

The sound of a muffled male's voice reached her ears as she slowly came into consciousness, still a little disoriented as she opened her eyes. Trying to make clear of what she could see. Her vision became clearer, the image of a man hovering over her coming into sight. Panic rushed into her before any other emotion, letting out a screech as she sat up quickly, their heads cracking together, both of them letting out a pained yelp. She fell back into the bed, her world spinning whilst she heard the male fall back onto the floor somewhere.

Four sets of feet were heard from the stairs when the crash came, the kids and Lucy making their way up quickly to investigate.  
"Da, what happened?" Bain asked, breathing heavily as they reached the room.  
"Is she awake?" Tilda chirped in eagerness, pushing past her brother. Lucy stood looking curiously over the scene before her. "She is." She said quietly, a smile on her face as she helped Tilda forward.

Bard groaned, holding his throbbing head as he sat up. "Calm down, you're somewhere safe." He told her quickly before she panicked again, going to the bed side. "Hey, you're safe now. I won't hurt you." He reassured her, watching as her gaze returned to his.

Her gaze locked with his once again, the sound of his voice somehow calming her down to the point of listening to him. There was something in his voice and eyes that she knew she could trust this man. His voice was gentle and his eyes calm.. She felt her own body calm down as she rubbed her head slightly, looking from the man to the four pairs of curious eyes peering at them.

Now seeing the girl was calmed down and less bewildered, Bard knelt down at her bedside once again, his brown gaze settling upon her. He didn't intend on hounding her for too many questions just yet, as she was probably a little confused and scared. "What is your name?" He asked her, wanting to at least give a name to the girl.

Her gaze returned to the man at her bedside once again, hearing his question as she had to think about it for a moment. Her mind was a bit foggy still as she had to think of her name before it came to her. "Laylah.." She spoke as she glanced at the man. Upon remembering her name, she realized the last thing she could remember was another man...but his face was a blur, and after that was nothing. Just cold, deep, darkness.

Bard's eyes caught glance of her ears as she brushed her hair over her shoulder, noticing that they were more pointed than others. An elf? No, that didn't make sense. What would an elf be doing so far down from their homelands, nor would it make sense for her body to shut down so easily in cold waters...half elf then? It would make sense as to how she managed to survive out in the lake.

"I pulled you out of the lake last night. You were floating along on a barrel." He told her, wondering if she would remember any of that.

Laylah's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Lake? How had she gotten in the lake? Dropping her gaze to the bed, she tried to remember. Nothing but fog and blurred memories that she couldn't piece together came to her. She shook her head before returning her gaze to the man. "I don't remember.."

Bard let out a sigh. He was afraid of this. He smiled softly, shaking his head. "It's alright. You're safe here now anyway. I'm Bard. These are my children Sigrid, Bain and Tilda." He pointed at them as he introduced them. "And a family friend Lucy." He introduced her, as they nodded in greeting and smiled at her.

Laylah nodded back, acknowledging them with a weak smile. "Thank you Mr. Bard." She said softly, looking up at him.

Bard only chuckled softly as he stood up. "Just Bard, and there's no need to thank me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had just have left you out there." He told her before turning to look at the children.

"Sigrid, can you make soup?" He asked her, and she nodded and turned round.

"Tilda, come along." She ushered her sister along to help with her, figuring it would best not to crowd the girl just yet.

"I suppose I should be going then." Lucy said with a smile. "I'm sure I'll be truly meeting you soon, miss." She bowed her head in respect before saying her goodbyes and thank you to Bard before departing. Bain walked her to the door, the two making vague remarks on the welfare of the girl. Thank God she would be okay.

* * *

Lucy made her way home in stealth. It wouldn't come as such a surprise if Alfrid had spies out watching for her. She glanced around, before scrambling hastily up the lattice, leaning over to push open the window, when it flew open in her face, startling her.

Her eyes darkened. The smell of booze that permeated off him almost making her sick.  
"Hello Alfrid." She said cooly. "I see you've checked in."  
She wasn't too sure if she honestly wanted to go in now that she saw the state he was in. He was drunk. And he was livid. Such an appealing combination, it was a wonder why any woman wouldn't give him a second glance as a possible court.  
"Did you miss me Alfrid?" Lucy asked, quietly, keeping her gaze on him. His eyes were red and hazy. Whether he had been crying or was honestly that drunk, she couldn't be certain.

Alfrid reached out grabbing her wrist tightly in his grubby little hand. Fear flashed in her eyes. "Lemme go!" She demanded, trying to yank her wrist free.  
"Get in here, girl." He snapped, yanking back, nearly making her topple forward off the lattice.  
"I can't. You have my arm." She protested.

Alfrid tugged at her again, harder. So hard, he had to lean back to pull with such force. She flew forward, falling from the lattice, grabbing the windowsill in time.

Alfrid helped her climb before grabbing her, pulling her drunkenly to his little dirty frame. He sniffled. "I missed you." He grunted, using her chest as pillow, he nestled his head against her breasts. She was taller than him, though not by much.  
Her face reddened. "You're drunk, Alfrid. Let me go. You know what happens when you're drunk." She groaned, trying to push him away from her.  
His eyes darkened angrily. "Which means so do you!" He snarled, pushing her away, with such force, (for him), she stumbled backwards, tripping and hitting the back of her head on the corner of her desk.

She cried out from the pain. Mildly disoriented as she grabbed the back of her head. Great, she was bleeding. Nervously looking at her hand after prodding the spot she cracked on the desk.

Alfrid scrambled forward, kneeling down, grabbing at her blouse, trying to pull it off her.  
Lucy slapped his hands away. "Stop it Alfrid!" She demanded angrily. She had nowhere to back up to. The desk being in her way, she was trapped. Cornered.  
His hand connected with her face. "No!" He snapped angrily. "I shall have what is mine."  
"ALFRID! Let me go!" She shrieked, more panicked now as he tore away her blouse, leaving her chest exposed, besides the bra she had on.  
"Stop it! You're my father!" Lucy pleaded.  
"Oh now you make a point in remembering such things." He growled, prying away her hands that were clamped around her chest like a vice grip. Protecting herself from his eyes and hands. "Which means you belong to me!"


End file.
